changing fridge temp range (fridge/freezer unit -small)

[Stormie]

hello. i would like to operate my dorm sized unit
at a higher temperature range than it is designed
for. i have a regular fridge for freezing and refrigeration
and would like this one to be more of a "cold pantry?"
or something to keep bread and fruits etc in without
it getting down into the 40s F.

i expected to be adding a resistor or something so
that i can have the unit cycle less, but i found that
the 0-9 temperature controller that i already have
turned all the way down is actually some sort of
silver metal rod that is being bent or drawn down
to some sort of ~thermistor-ish effects.

how can i get this gadget to not work so hard?
i tried setting the fridge to run 15 minutes on /
15 minutes off with a timer and it STILL gets
really cold even on "1" !!!

btw, the sensor is the metal wire that is encased in
a white plastic sleeve. i suspect that cutting this
rod down shorter will of course change the
properties it reports to its wiring but i dont know if
that will hurt or help me. also, i realize i could remove
the plastic protection/insulation so that this sensing
wire picks up and carries back more of the cold off
the coil but i dont want to hurt anything in there
by acting without any information!

i have already made sure that the wire is running right
across the transmissions of the evaporation coolant
paths but it still goes down into the 40s rather than
just like the 60s at most.

thanks! im hoping i can just remove the plastic sleeve
from the sensing wire so that it feels its colder than
it is!! and then maybe i can maneuver it so that i
have a useable range to use its temperature control
thing!!!

thanks!

S

[amitsaxena]

Dear I would recommed as

1. either set the thermostat at the warmest setting or
2. change the thermostat as go for which is having high cut off/ cut in temp range
3. Dont cut the sleeve as it may solve your problem temporarily, may be after some time if sensor get misplaced then it will be full of ice. Or if it started sensing faster then it will go for short cycling hence very less cooling.
I think my answer will help you
thanks
amit

[Stormie]

1. set the thermostat at the warmest setting (ya, still too cold)
2. change the thermostat out for hi-temp range model (wow, where do you get one of those?)
3. Dont cut the sleeve as it may solve your problem temporarily, may be after some time if sensor get misplaced then it will be full of ice. Or if it started sensing faster then it will go for short cycling hence very less cooling. (uh, thats what i WANT though!)
I think my answer will help you
thanks
amit

so how do i get the (#3) less cooling / shorter
cycles then? i'll remove the plastic sleeving
so its metal to metal and it will get colder, is
what will happen? i dont think it could hurt
the unit by making it come on less often and
for less duration, yea?

my new idea was to put the tip of the plastic
straw-like temp sensing wire into a jar of water
inside the unit as i know that water has that
higher heat transfer ability and maybe that
will make the sensor wire feel colder and get
the unit to steady at higher temperatures...

and thanks for lookiing, A-

S

[Brian_UK]

That metal tube from the thermostat is full of a special gas.

If you cut it to make it shorter then the gas will leak out and the thermostat will stop working.

Get a refrigerator thermostat instead of a freezer one.

[amitsaxena]

Dear If, Really want to solve the problem then pull the sleeve towards inside hence to move the sensing bulb slightly outside (BUT NOT IN DIRECT CONTACT WITH COLD SURFACE) this will decrease the sensing time hence will decrease the on time(Upto exceptable lable) hence cooling will reduce
If you put it in the water then it will cut off very late as it will take very long to reach cut in/off temp for water
Hence dont try this it will furthur increase your problem.

Thanks
Amit

[Stormie]

1st, thanks for the tip on not cutting this thing, Brian! whew

2nd, putting this in water made little difference, if anything made it slightly
colder so you were right about the
water, Amit.

3rd, its original position is really really
close to the coil and therefore was
already pretty much touching "the
coldest part" so i dont think that
with this little fridge, there exists the
danger that makes you say NOT IN
DIRECT CONTACT.

so, i think i have to leave this thing
where it was designed to be and
try to replace the unit with one
calibrated differently (for a fridge
only unit) as brian has suggested.


but like i asked before, who sells parts
like this? (who is the ~generic parts
supplier for the USA/California-west
coast area that ppl who work in the
industry use to get their parts?)
...i have no idea how to get this part
and Brian isnt in my continent!

whats the _______.com to get
parts, fellas?

;)
=s

[sandcruiser]

do a search for chest-freezer refrigerator
there are some folks out there who have used digital thermostats to control chest freezers, making them operate as a fridge.

You could do the same with your fridge, operating it as a chiller.

Essentially: you need a digi thermostat and a relay. You can set the thermostat to the desired temp and it'll kick off the relay, thus turning the fridge off. When it warms up, it'll close the relay and the fridge will start chilling again.

Should be pretty inexpensive to do. Depending on the thermostat, you could program it to operate differently at night vs. during the day, though I'm not sure why you would want to do that.